Levees Threatened : Already-Swollen Illinois River Area Has More Rain

An inch or two of rain fell today over the flooded Illinois River basin, stalling the river’s decline in the Peoria area, and officials said the extra rain will cause the river to rise again downstream where some levees are threatened.

Flooding along the 272-mile river claimed four lives last week and forced 1,700 people from their homes. The Red Cross estimated Sunday that 50 homes along the river were destroyed and nearly 1,200 others damaged. About 12,000 acres of farmland were submerged.

Gov. James R. Thompson’s office today declared 10 counties along the bloated river’s lower end disaster areas, bringing to 20 the number of Illinois River counties so designated since flooding began last week.

The river held steady this morning at Peoria, where a 60-mile stretch of shoreline north and south of the city was most severely flooded, at 9 feet above the 18-foot flood stage, the Army Corps of Engineers said. That was nearly 1.5 feet below its Friday peak of 28.4 feet deep--third-highest ever recorded.

The weather service said 0.82 inches of rain fell at Chillicothe, 17 miles north of Peoria where flooding has been among the most severe, and 1.65 inches fell at Havana, 35 miles downriver from Peoria, which could cause higher levels downstream at Beardstown and Meredosia.